It's been real 2014

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Happy 6 months Peace Corps Rwanda! (And exactly 2 years since college graduation, yikes!) 

These past few weeks at site have been a lot calmer from day to day after getting back from training and BE camp, especially since I'm done with my CNA research. I still spend my mornings helping out in the nutrition center and my afternoons planning projects, meeting with leaders, walking around my community, drinking tea, watching TV shows, or attempting (and mostly failing) to do various 30 day workout challenges.


At the end of November and right before Worlds AIDS Day my health center had its annual HIV/AIDS afternoon to bring together HIV/AIDS positive and negative children, and the children of health center staff. Two teachers from a nearby sector, 2 nurses, and I taught about HIV/AIDS using lessons, games, stories, and a video. The kids were given fanta and bread, and then tshirts at the end of the lesson in addition to prizes for answering questions correctly. This program was a great way to get the kids to interact and learn about HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, and I'm planning  to use this activity as a basis for the health center children's club I'm planning to start in the new year. Next month we will take  the children on a  daylong field trip to Butare to visit the Ethnographic museum! 



Health center HIV/AIDS day, watching  a Teach AIDS video (in kinyarwanda!) 


Apart from the hygiene and sanitation project that I mentioned in a previous post, my other main focus  is a library project. My village has a multimedia center with a library, but it has only roughly 50 books and they're all on agriculture. Luckily the center is enthusiastic about building up their library, so I'm  working with them and a Kigali organization to get books donated to expand the centers library to include books in kinyarwanda and English for all ages on a variety of topics. I'm also hoping to start a mini fundraiser for additional library supplies so it can be a  place for students at the nearby schools to utilize as well.

I spent the last weekend of November and the first weekend of December in Kigali; first for Thanksgiving dinner at the PC Rwanda country directors house with some fellow health 6 PCVs, and second to celebrate the new education group swearing in as volunteers! It really does seem like I'm in Kigali more than my village sometimes, but I'm hoping that isn't the case in 2015, 1 weekend in Kigali is  3 weeks in the village, money wise!  
Thanksgiving day, pre food coma

During  thanksgiving weekend I finally was able to make it to Rwamagana to visit my host family from training. It was great getting to see everyone again, and enjoy yet another meal of rice and beans with them. I think my favorite part of the visit was when my host dad asked me to have my parents send more Texas Pete hot sauce. And  also when my host mom gave me about 2 dozen bananas to take back to site.
Reunited with my favorite little diva! <3

I'm at site until the end of the week, before going to London for Christmas with my sisters!! I am so excited to see them, but I have no idea how I'm going to survive going from 80 to 30 degree weather....
After London I'll be in Kigali to ring in the new year with some PCVs. 2015, I'm coming for ya!

Until next time,
Vanessa 

P.S. I wrote this article 'Using Social Media in the Fight Against Malaria' for the stomp out malaria blog, check it out here: http://t.co/vi1kvthCPJ

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